We've completely failed to stop them at the battlefront.
But the individual squadrons are doing all right.
Well, yes.
But you haven't reduced the enemy numbers much.
Don't be so detached about this.
You're involved in this plan as well.
Calm down, Nereis.
I know. This is our plan.
Besides, how could we have predicted...
...that their mine attacks would have gone on so long?
Because of that...
...our fleet was not in the best shape to fight...
...when the enemy ships arrived.
The fact that our flagship needs to take part...
...means things aren't looking good.
What do we do next, Nereis?
I guess we can't retreat now, can we?
Of course not.
Our forces now completely surround the Aptic Gate.
Thanks to that, we're managing to hold them off at the front.
If we retreat, that would give the enemy time to remobilize.
And if that happened, we'd simply be wiped out.
Do you want us to just sit here and wait...
...while the enemy goes ahead and destroys us, Nefee?
I was hoping for some evidence of Spectacular Insanity here.
Sorry to disappoint you, but you won't find any insanity in me.
Where do you think you're going?
I'm taking a bath.
A bath?
I'm going to have a bath.
I'm feeling a bit sticky.
It's not good for the commander to be suffering from exhaustion.
I must get my rest when I can.
Well, I suppose so.
You should take some time out and get a bit of rest as well.
Hey, you understand the situation here?
We're in the middle of a battle.
This ship could be destroyed at any time!
Being killed in action while taking a bath...
...seems quite silly to say the least, Nereis!
It would be a great dishonor to know that I'd let my men die in vain.
At the very least I would like to choose where I end my life.
So, a bathtub is your choice of a suitable place to die?
The Battle for Aptic Gate Begins
Banner of the Stars
You going to fire at me?
All personnel! Brace for attack!
There's no response from the laser cannon!
There have been breaches in the hull from Sectors 3 to 17...
...and the first passageway has also lost pressure!
Multiple damages. Three crew dead and another five wounded!
Temperature rising sharply!
The armor will melt at this rate!
Request permission to jettison the armor!
Explosion in Sector 23!
The automatic fire extinguishing system has failed!
It's looking bad.
Lafiel!
Rescue the crew members! And hurry it up!
Permission granted to take any action necessary!
Do whatever you have to do.
I appreciate that, but...
...I don't know how much we can do now!
Deca-Commander Abriel!
What's your current situation?
Request permission to withdraw from the front, Unit Commander.
Permission granted, Basroil.
It's unfortunate, but it can't be helped.
It's very unfortunate.
Line Wing Aviator, can we save the ship?
It's almost impossible.
We're barely holding on.
If we jettison the anti-matter fuel...
...we can perhaps save the vessel...
...but it can't be done automatically.
And we're really short on people here.
Damn, why did we have to lose him?
I'm left with no choice.
All crew! Abandon ship!
Is the Calike still in working order?
No damage.
Senior Aviator...
...get the Calike prepared immediately for departure!
Yes, Captain!
Supply Officer, get the crew onto the Calike.
Yes, Captain!
This is something...
...I never thought I'd have to do.
All crew! This is the captain!
You are temporarily discharged from your responsibilities.
Abandon your posts immediately...
...and move quickly to the Calike deck.
I repeat!
You are temporarily discharged from your responsibilities.
Abandon your posts immediately...
- Ekuryua... - Abandon your posts immediately...
- Can you deal with my cat? ...and move quickly to the Calike deck.
He's in my room. I've already put him in his travel carrier.
That's a relief!
I'll go and prepare the Calike for boarding now.
I don't think there's much more for me to do up here.
Do you mind if I go and give Supply Officer Lin a hand?
After all, the ones injured are my subordinates.
As I said before, just do whatever you have to do.
That's right.
Right, then. I'll head down.
Basroil...
You had a short life.
Forgive me.
It's obvious that we don't have very much time left.
Enemy attack to the right! Watch out behind you!
Keep firing! Get that one! Turn the ship around!
Got him! Now come around!
Prepare the laser cannon!
Guard ship unit destroyed!
How bad are the losses?
Over forty-five percent, sir.
So, this is it.
This is what it's come to.
We're going to cover the rear.
Send the Neeroil out in front!
Captain!
The enemy fleet is retreating!
Hmm. That was faster than expected.
The main fleet commanded by His Highness.
The enemy around the Aptic Gate has made a clear move.
So, they finally gave up the struggle?
The enemy will be forced to fight us in a decisive battle in the Aptic.
That's not to say that we have the advantage.
If the current battle is a draw...
...it's a strategic blow to the Empire.
We have to avoid that.
Well, well.
Would you look at that?
Is there something wrong, Your Highness?
Can you see the formation the enemy is moving into?
This is their challenge to us.
Don't you think so?
I don't think so.
They're just choosing the fastest way out of there.
Straight down the middle, huh?
If we were to simply let them pass through...
...our losses would be kept to a minimum.
We could withdraw our fleet from the area altogether.
Thus avoiding the need to fight...
...and Aptic would still remain in the hands of the Empire.
That way we could also keep Mystel in the Empire.
Is that what you're planning to do?
Of course not.
You forget that I am an Abriel.
After assembling such a large fleet...
...winning control of a couple of remote planetary systems...
...isn't my idea of success.
The enemy has given us the choice...
...to fight or not to fight.
You don't know that for sure.
That may be so...
...but it's clear that the ball is in our court.
We're going to have our big battle. All right?
I suppose if I disagree with you, you'll fire me on the spot?
Certainly not.
You're a most competent chief of staff.
I can't dismiss you.
But it may mean that I'll no longer listen to you.
I thought you might say that.
I have no intention of disagreeing with you.
Like you said...
...we've come this far to eliminate the enemy fleet.
Very well.
The Third Fleet will maintain its present position.
We'll have the Second and Fourth Fleets get into a cluster formation...
...and attack the enemy from the flank or from the rear.
We'll position the First Fleet out in front.
The guard ships will stand by...
...ready to respond to enemy retaliation.
A rough plan.
But until we see how the enemy organizes, it's a start.
I'd like you to study the efficacy of this battle strategy.
Yes, sir.
By the way...
...there was one thing I wanted you to tell me.
Yes?
Which one of the brothers did you have a relationship with?
Was it Nereis?
Or was it Nefee?
Commander!
The First Fleet has completed its deployment.
Thank you for your effort.
Distance to the enemy frontline is 120.
They're in an oval-shaped formation...
...and all ships are facing in this direction.
Their patrol ships appear to be battle-ready...
...as well as shielding the ships inside the oval.
Our primary task will be...
...to break through that shell in order to expose...
...and destroy the weaker ships if...
No, no.
Where's the elegance in that?
It may come as a surprise to you...
...but I quite enjoy bullying the weaker ones.
No surprise to me.
Trampling over beat up assault vessels...
...and annihilating defenseless ships...
...can be a quite a beautiful thing.
Don't you agree?
I think that's simply a matter of taste.
Well, my dear Chief of Staff...
...there's nothing in this galaxy that's more important...
...than my taste.
The commander's got to be joking.
I sure hope she's joking.
That and having twenty-five patrol ship squadrons assembled...
...to fight to the bitter end using only brute force.
But what other approaches can we take?
If it were up to me, I'd avoid the battlefield altogether.
And hide in Aptic.
But surely that means we won't be able to fight in the big battle?
It's not an ideal situation.
But it's got to be better than the alternative.
I suppose.
Well...
...I suppose there's no point grumbling about this.
Chief of Staff.
Here's an order to all units under my command.
Separate from the supply forces...
...and advance with surveillance troops only.
Ships are to prepare for battle in regular space.
We'll enter the space-time bubbles in small groups.
The squadrons Kuryudas, Biruka, Kengafu...
...Goshitol, Ferutoni, Saidoo...
...and Torarisuto will...
...stop the enemy from advancing further. This is their top priority.
The remainder shall focus on penetrating the enemy fleet.
They are to avoid engaging in battle with enemy patrol ships.
Even if provoked, they should not retaliate immediately.
If they enter space-time bubbles, they'll obviously fight hard...
...until they've returned to their own ranks.
We break through the outer shell of patrol ships...
...and cut deep into enemy lines.
She plans to demoralize them no matter what it takes.
The signal will be when our space-time bubble moves forward.
Got that?
Understood, ma'am!
I will relay the order immediately to all ships.
The rearward Saidoo has commenced space-time fusion!
Inform the captain!
The space-time bubble is totally mobile...
...on a course of 010.
I'm not sure I feel up to this.
The First Fleet has begun to advance.
In that case, we should start our advance as well.
All squadrons on the frontline...
...shall launch their mobile space-time mines.
First wave. Space-time separation!
Second wave. Space-time separation!
Third wave. Space-time separation!
Our Fleet has begun its mine attack!
Enemy guard ship space-time bubbles...
...have begun to retreat!
Distance to enemy fleet is...
...ten... nine... eight... seven...
...six... five... four... three...
...two... one!
We've made contact!
I can almost hear the sound of scraping metal.
The sound of my dear ships being damaged.
The sound of my precious men dying.
It's not a sound I could ever enjoy.
You might have to get used to it.
How true.
A pertinent observation.
Sector 10 damaged!
There's a break in the armor!
The armor is in danger of melting!
There is a danger the ship will break apart!
We've penetrated the frontline of enemy patrol ships!
Notify headquarters!
And inform Futune and Skuni as well!
All ships prepare to launch another mine attack!
She looks so happy about this.
Once mines are deployed...
...all ships must separate into individual space-time bubbles!
All mines ready to be launched!
Fire all mines!
All mines have been successfully launched!
Mobilize individual space-time bubbles!
Go out there!
Everyone on board?
Well, we're still waiting for Second Aviator Ekuryua and...
She hasn't arrived yet?
She's been delayed because she had to retrieve Diaho.
At least we know where she is.
She should be here any moment, but...
But what?
We had to leave Paveryua behind because of his injuries.
Supply Officer Lin went to rescue him...
...but we think he might've been in an accident.
His helmet has malfunctioned...
...so we can't tell what his situation is.
He's probably near Sector 1.
That is, if he's still alive.
What about Paveryua?
We think he escaped using one of the emergency pods.
Okay.
I'm going back to rescue Supply Officer Lin.
Take command of the Calike and try to pick up Paveryua.
But...
That's an order, Senior Aviator!
Look after that.
I've got no choice.
Your Highness...
...you have been a great and courageous captain.
I want you to know that.
I appreciate that. I'll now leave my crew with you.
Of course.
They are my crew as well.
Captain!
We've only got five minutes!
The ship could explode at any time.
If you still haven't found the boy after five minutes...
I know it's difficult...
...but we'll have to give up.
Please be careful.
I don't want to be known as...
...the senior aviator who abandoned her captain during her first battle.
Of course.
I have no intention of dying here.
Remember to pick up our pods once we're out.
We'll be there for you!
Senior Aviator!
We've got a problem.
I can't get any more output from the engine in the Calike!
We can't get out of here?
We're battling against the clock!
We've got to do something before she blows!
Let me come and help!
Please!
Wh-what happened to me?...
Paveryua, where are you?
The emergency pod's been used.
That must mean he got out of here.
Thank goodness!
That was close.
So I was out for about five minutes.
But that five minutes may have cost me my life.
How typical of me.
I try to act the hero but it's all in vain.
I suppose I shouldn't do things I'm not used to.
There're no emergency pods.
No more pressure helmets.
The pressure in the next sector is probably five thousand daj.
And the ship is about to explode.
There's one thing left that I can do.
But if I call for help...
...I'm just going to end up risking someone else's life.
Are you all right, Jinto?
I was okay until just now.
But I can't say for sure anymore.
You fool. Would you have preferred that I didn't come?
Of course not.
Thank you. If you hadn't come, I'd be dead.
Hurry up. We don't have time.
What is it with you and your fascination with vacuums?
Give me a break.
I hate vacuums.
I mean, Landers like me...
...have this idea that vacuums aren't very good for you.
Maybe that's just superstition.
Let's hurry. There should be an emergency pod up ahead.
I'm sorry.
You once said...
...that you didn't think anyone would miss you...
...or grieve over your passing.
What? Yeah...
Got it!
Let's go!
It's okay! Let's get out of here!
What's happened to the captain and Supply Officer Lin?
Captain! Supply Officer!
10:26
Assault Vessel Basroil Destroyed
kizukanai koto ga The things I did not notice
konnani takusan aru I didn't know there were so many
kyoumade no jibun ga I think of myself until today
nasakenaku omoete To be so pathetic
kuyashii kurai It's almost frustrating
haritsumeta kimochi ga This tense feeling
massugu ni muite ireba As long as I keep facing forward
setsunasa no nukumori This momentary warmth
hajimete shitta I understood it for the first time
kimi ga iruto When you are there
itsumo pink no namida ga nagareteru The pink tears are always flowing
kono mune no naka wo afureteru My heart is brimming with it
kimi ga dokoni itemo dareto hanashitemo Wherever you are and whoever you talk to
issho ni itaiyo soba ni ite I want to be with you, to be near you
tsunaida te kara yubisaki kara From our linked hands and our finger tips
karadajuu no omoi binetsu tsutawatte My body heat transmits the feelings inside
tomerarenai And I cannot stop it
O Stars, listen to our plea as our lives are but short.
Our wish...
...is that you will guide us to you when we meet our end.
It's strange.
It almost feels like nothing matters anymore.
Maybe it's because I'm with you.
You fool.
I wonder who...
Next Episode... The Shapes of Bonds
Next Episode... The Shapes of Bonds ...I really am.
Next Episode... The Shapes of Bonds